July Sept Newsletter. Races:

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Dominick Leonard
6 years ago
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1 Welcome to our quarterly newsletter about our running club, based here in Paphos. It includes information about the races we have participated in, our results, any general information about us and what preparations we are doing for upcoming races. The newsletter belongs to all members, whether you reside in Cyprus or live elsewhere and run with the club when on holiday. Any information relating to your running you would like including in the newsletter, please The club membership continues to grow steadily and we wish to extend a warm welcome to those members who have recently joined - Anthony Aram, Claire and James Holmes, Cath Mack and Tamzin Yates. Races: 30th July, Yeroskipou 3.5Km Race, Yeroskipou Village. The race was well supported by the following club members: Anne-Marie, Catherine, Debra, Fiona, Garry, Claire H, Linda, Mark, Angela M, Claire R, Rita, Ruth, Stewart and John. Unfortunately, the race organisers do not award trophies for age categories for women. However, Angela and Fiona would have achieved 2nd in age group and Anne- Marie and Ruth 3rd in age group. What a happy bunch of runners! 1

30th July, 1st Paphos Beer Marathon, Town Hall Square, Paphos. The race commenced from the Town Hall square to the Municipal Baths, Paphos Harbour. The route was planned to be 4.

2 30th July, 1st Paphos Beer Marathon, Town Hall Square, Paphos. The race commenced from the Town Hall square to the Municipal Baths, Paphos Harbour. The route was planned to be 4.5Km, but was actually under 3Km. Although some club members had run in the morning, they were keen to participate in this event - I wonder why, nothing to do with free beer, was it! However, runners were offered free non-alcoholic beer during and after the race. It was a fun event and was enjoyed by all, participants and supporters alike. This was followed by a meal at Paphos Harbour. Christine, Anne-Marie, Stewart, Linda, Rita, Chris, Angela M, Garry, Mark, Ruth, Claire H, Claire R, Debra, Catherine, John, Angela W and Fiona all took part. Wonder what the smiles are for anything to do with free beer! 2

3 20 th August, Agros 5.5Km Race, Agros Village. This race was a rather special event for West Coast Runners; not only was it in a beautiful area of Troodos, but we were delighted to be awarded a special plaque in recognition of the club s participation in the race, which was held in memory of Nearchos Clerides, a very famous teacher and writer from Agros. We also received a calendar and bottles of the rose liqueur and rose water for which Agros is famous. A big thank you is due to Agros Community and Periclis Demetriou Running Club for this amazing honour. We had a really great day out and it was topped off nicely with Janet and Tony winning trophies for coming third in their age groups. Also, running were Alan, Angela M, Anne-Marie, Christine, John, Mark and Tamzin, all ably supported by Catherine and Margaret as well as Anne-Marie s lovely family. What a special day. 2nd September, Magic Always Happens, Anogyra Village, Limassol. The first Annual 5Km Charity Run and Walk was held in Anogyra village, all proceeds going to the scholarship fund for people and families on the autism spectrum. This was a fantastic event in which it was a pleasure to take part and we look forward very much to next year s race. We were made very welcome by Anogyra 3

4 villagers. Christine, Stewart, Rita, Alan, Angela M, Mark, Ruth, Catherine and John all took part. Although not all age groups were recognised, they did have trophies for 60 years and over, so John and Alan picked up 2nd and 3rd respectively and Christine 2nd. What a fantastic event - I think you can safely say we will be back next year. The Ironman Challenge: Angela Walshe, on behalf of Mark Pead and Garry Owens, has written this interesting account of their Ironman Challenge. Garry has taken on the challenge of the middle distance triathlon and Mark is following on with the long distance triathlon. Angela told us that: Unfortunately Garry broke his hip and had to give up on his training for the K1 Man 70.3 which took place on 7 th October. As I am writing this, Mark is heading to Turkey to compete in the Ironman 70.3 and in December will be taking on the long distance full Ironman in Australia. 4

5 What does all this mean? The middle distance triathlon is 1.9Km swim, 90Km cycle and 21Km run (total 70.3 miles) and the long distance triathlon is 3.8Km swim, 180Km cycle and a marathon run (140 miles). The Ironman competition is a worldwide brand where athletes compete to qualify for the Ironman championships in Kona, Hawaii. There are other brands and competitions but Ironman is the most famous. It is not for the faint hearted. Ask Mark and Garry why they want to compete and they both say they want to do it for the challenge. Many of us take part in running and cycling as much for the social side as the sport itself but the training regime for these events is tough, long and lonely. Building up the endurance to stay in the saddle and then keep running for hours is gruelling and has to be done whatever the weather. Very early starts are required to avoid the heat of the day here in Cyprus and there aren t many people who would be prepared to join the session just for the ride/run. It s not uncommon to have to train through niggling injuries. Anyone spending time in their company will know how focussed they become and conversations invariably lead to talk of training programmes, training times, aches, pains, cramp, uncomfortable saddles, strava, training watches, etc. Mark and Garry have both struggled with the swimming, putting hours of training in at the 50m pool and at the harbour and Coral Bay. They ve had many discussions on the benefits of swimming in a wetsuit but also knowing they may not be allowed to wear them during the competition depending on the water temperature. The guys have to organise their nutrition as it s a long time to be active - gels, electrolytes, energy bars and fruit. They also have to consider when to eat and drink to enable them to sustain the effort. And then the transition from bike to run. After hours in the saddle you get off the bike, put on your runners and then set off on the final leg. Last year, Garry had to abandon the K1 Man 5Km into his run and this year couldn t compete at all but is already thinking of next year. I am sure when Mark has completed the Full Ironman in Australia his initial reaction will be never again and then within a few hours he will be thinking about his next one. It s all about the challenge 5

6 and I know Garry is aware that the older he gets the bigger the challenge and I m sure Mark feels the same way. Garry on the mend like your new form of transport! Watch out for Mark s photos in the next newsletter. 6

7 Overseas Members: Karen Allen has provided an interesting account of both her own and Pete Portnoi s running activities while in the UK. We both did the Poole Park run on Saturday 2 nd September; it is the largest Parkrun in the country with 798 running on a beautiful day. It is a 5Km run, twice around the boating lake and then once round the cricket pitch. Pete is pleased because he got a PB (22.38), smashing his PB of the week before (23.18). I only managed (28.29) [but she says she never pushes towards the front at the start!]. Sunday 3 rd September - Pete and his friend Rob ran 14.2 miles at Upton Country Park, in 2hrs 21mins. A rainy, windy day, the run followed the inner harbour, through the grounds of a Country Park and back round the other side of the harbour. Poole harbour has 100 miles of coastline so most runs have a sea view. 4 th September, Monday Plod, 5.2 miles, Poole Runners group - this was a recovery run that I did (Pete had a rest day). Around 25 people meet in Poole Park and usually head towards the famous Sandbanks peninsula, where all the footballers live. This group acts as the progression group for the couch to 5K people. 5 th September, Marathon Training, Poole Runners group - Pete did 1Km intervals with 4 minute rests in-between. Pete says he was last as these people are super-fast. 6 th September, Club run, Trail way route, off-road around Wimborne countryside - lovely evening but chilly and dark before we got back to the club. This is the last off-roader as the nights are drawing in fast, so next week it s back to road running with head torches. 7 th September, Club Mile, Poole Runners, Ashdown track - this is an annual event and is the last race in a series that makes up the club championship. 76 people entered including juniors and it is run in heats. It was a cold, wet and windy evening so we got really cold waiting around to see the fastest runners heat. Pete finished in 6:51 and I did 8:32. The winner set a new club record in 4:20! 9 th September, Park Run - I cycled to the park along Poole Quay and Pete ran to warm up as he was after another PB. It was a beautiful morning but it now feels autumnal in the UK with dew on the ground. 682 runners completed the 5Km course and Pete achieved another PB of with a sprint finish which saw Skippy, another Poole runner, take him on the line. I did and came in with 7

8 my usual crowd, who you get to know running similar times every week. After the race we had a breakfast bap and coffee at Deveena s café with some other Poole runners, as she is a club member and always looks after us. 10 th September, Pete and Rob long run day - they were joined by Skippy. It was a bit of a grey day and chilly. They followed the quay and then the harbour to Sandbanks where the harbour joins the open sea. From here they ran along Poole and Bournemouth prom to Bournemouth pier before turning around. It is possible to follow this beautiful beach for 22 miles before you have to head inland, but on a nice day the prom is fraught with dangers when you are a runner, like holidaymakers, dogs, children on scooters, cyclists, etc. They did miles at 9:30 pace as Pete has entered the Manchester Marathon after telling me, never let me enter another marathon!!! Pete and Karen are now in Cyprus training with us for the 4 Day Challenge in November. The final account I have received is from Debra Skapoullis. Unfortunately, as Debra puts it, she had a silly accident; she fell over a sandbag that was being used for roadworks. Injuries were mainly superficial except for damage to the ribs, which put her out of action for 5 weeks. Debra is just starting to get back into it but her first 5Km run took her a week to recover from. It meant that Debra has had to defer her place for next month s Knebworth Half Marathon, but she has entered a local 10 mile run that takes place on New Year s Eve. All the best Debra and we hope your New Year s Eve run goes well and you are soon back on form. Be Active: This event was organised by Paphos Municipality in cooperation with Stelios Kyriakides Running Club, with the support of West Coast Runners Cyprus, Paphos Running Club and Pericles Demetriou Running Club. BE ACTIVE is a call to action to get Europeans moving! The European Week of Sport aims to promote sport and physical activity across Europe. The target was aimed at people living in Paphos and the scope is to motivate and encourage them to engage in sport and exercise. 8

9 The event to promote running took place on Tuesday 26 th September, from 5pm until 6.30pm, at 28 th October Square, Paphos Town Hall. The programme of activities included talks on eating healthily, advice on foot health, how to choose running shoes and socks as well as how to prevent pain and injury. The talks were followed by a warm up session and a run/jog of 400 metres and finally a warm down session. West Coast Runners were very happy to participate in this event. Proud to be REDS. Red shirts, red table and a red flag!! Upcoming races: 7 th October, Buff Troodos Mountain Ultra, 80Km/50Km/25Km/10Km, Troodos Square. The races will be commencing at different times from Troodos Square, therefore need to check the website for further information. The races are all challenging trail runs in and around the Troodos Mountains. There is a great deal of interest from club members in both the 25Km and 10Km races. 9

10 8 th October, White Rocks X-Triathlon, Governor s Beach, Larnaca. The event is co-organised by BikinCyprus Events Management and Keryneia Nautical Club, under the auspices of the Cyprus Triathlon Federation. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, 4 th October th October, Gloria IRONMAN 70.3, Antalya, Turkey. The triathlon consists of a 1.9Km swim, 90Km cycling and a 21Km run. Mark has decided to enter this tough race and we wish him all the best. 21 st October, 20 th Marios Agathangelou, Fytidio Sport Centre, Limassol at 4pm. The event includes the following races: 10Km/3Km/1Km (kids). 22 nd October, Limassol Triathlon, Limassol. The event is organised by Nireas Triathlon, which is the primary and longest established triathlon race organiser in Cyprus. Their mission is to organise high quality events in order to expand triathlon locally but also to build Cyprus as a first choice destination for overseas athletes. 22 nd October, Alphamega Run as One, Engomi, Nicosia. This year s event will include a Half Marathon race as well as personal and corporate 5Km races and a 1Km children s race, where adults may participate as well. The event is part of the Child, Nutrition and Health Social Responsibility Programme. The Half Marathon starts at 8am, 5Km races at 11am followed by the 1Km race. 28 th October, La Sportiva Cyprus Mountain Running Series, Paptousa Peak Challenge 14Km/8Km, organised by Cyprus Trail Runners. The 14Km race starts Agios Konstantinos Village and heads up to Papoutsa Peak (1522m) via the scenic Eagles Nest Trail. Then runners freewheel back down the trails again to the finish line at the Agios Konstantinos Café, with its spectacular view over valleys, vineyards and hills. There are some technical, challenging and interesting sections on the route. The shorter run of 8Km goes to Eagles Nest and back and there is also a family run of 2Km 4Km. The races all commence at 2pm. Entry fee for the 14Km is 10 Euros and the 8Km is 5 Euros. Enter and pay on-line at Entries will also be taken at the start on race day. 5 th November, La Sportiva Cyprus, Vertical Feat, Finikaria. The race commences at 9am and is on the same course as last year at Finikaria but the route has been extended to involve an additional 2.5Km of climbing, taking runners to the very top of the mountain with glorious views. Not including the initial flat warm up section, the route will be around 4.5Km of vertical running. The return route follows an alternative, less demanding, but equally enjoyable and scenic course. The return section is not part of the race. 18 th November, 03 OlympusMan, Extreme Triathlon. The course runs point-to-point from Paphos coast, through the beautiful Diarizos valley, the vineyards region and thick coniferous forests to, 10

11 finally, the Olympus peak on top of the island. The route covers 3,000m+ of total ascent, 109.6Km total distance, three sports and one target - the summit! The race commences at 6.30am with the 1.9Km swim at Paphos Harbour, followed by an 86Km bike section up to Troodos Square and the last leg is an off-road Half Marathon up Mount Olympus. 19 th November, 1 st Radisson Blu International Marathon Larnaka, in the Municipality of Larnaka. All the races will start from in front of Larnaka Town Hall. The Marathon and Half Marathon will commence at 8am, 10Km at 11.50am, 5Km at 11.15am, the 1Km Kids Race and the 1Km Fun Run at 1pm. 23 rd -26 th November, the 13 th edition of the Cyprus International 4-Day Challenge takes place in the area in and around Paphos. It is co-organised by Arena Sports, a leader in incoming sports and event organisation in Cyprus and 2:09 Events, a UK event organiser and running holiday specialist. They hope to continue offering participants and adventurous and challenging running event, with its 4 different races taking place over 4 days, where the times for each race are added together to give an overall winner at the end of the 4-day challenge. Please note: each of the last two races of the series, the 10Km Paphos City Run and the Half Marathon, can be run as a race on its own. The event successfully combines a 6Km time trial, an 11Km mountain trail run, a multi-terrain Half Marathon, and a 10Km City run. The closing date for this event is the 13 th November. Several members of the club have registered interest in participating and will be fundraising for two local charities, the Cancer Patients Support Group Paphos and the Archangel Michael Hospice. 26 th November, Cyprus Aphrodite Half Marathon and 5Km Fun Run, Yeroskipou Municipal Sports Centre. The event is organised by the Cyprus Health Runners Club and is supported by the Cyprus Sport Organisation. All runners must collect race numbers from 6pm 10pm on Friday 24 th or from 10am 5pm on Saturday 25 th prior to the race from the organisers desk at the Athena Beach Hotel. The Half Marathon starts at 9.30am. 2 nd December, 10 th Annual Race FxPro Run with Us, 10Km/5Km/800m (U14), Athalassa National Park, Nicosia. The event is co-organised by the Geri Municipality and the event Major Sponsor FxPro. The race is supported by PASYKAF. The 5Km and the 10Km race both commence at 10am. Entry is by on-line registration only and is open until the end of 26 th November. The 5Km race cost is 5 Euros and the 10Km is 15 Euros. 10 th December, 10Km Road Race, Kyriakideia. This special event is to mark the renaming of the Pafiakon Stadium to Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, as well as the 30 year anniversary of the death 11

12 of the legendary Cypriot marathon runner. The event includes a 10Km road race starting and finishing in the stadium Stelios Kyriakides in Paphos. Entry Fee is 12 Euros and the race commences at 9am. There will be children s races organised within the stadium. 10 th December, La Sportiva Cyprus Stavrovouni Fit and Fun Challenge, Stavrovouni. This is the final race in the La Sportiva Mountain Running Series Race details still to be published. Couch to 5K (C25K) Programme: Following a very successful C25K programme run early on in 2017, it has been decided to run another 10-week programme, due to start on Monday 2 nd October at 6pm. It will start at the kiosk on the seafront opposite the main car park at Paphos Harbour. Monthly Training Schedule: There continues to be a good turnout for our five weekly club runs since we started in January. Members who are currently here on the island try to get together before the end of the month to jointly agree the training schedule for the following month. As well as being published on the website, the current schedule is always pinned to the top of our Facebook page where you will also find details of any amendments or late changes. We are always looking for ideas for new running routes and so all members should feel free to get in touch with suggestions. Also, as several members have decided to compete in the 4-day challenge, Alan Lovejoy has put together a training plan to assist individuals taking on this challenge. This will include easy runs, long runs, speed and hill training, gradually increasing the mileage over a 12-week period. Even if you are not entering this event, all members are welcome to join in and have fun while developing important running skills. Keep up to date with what s happening via our Facebook page. Publicity and Social Events: Catherine Tonks continues to do a fantastic job at securing a huge amount of positive publicity for the club both in the local press and radio we have featured in Cyprus Living, Grapevine, Paphos Post, Cyprus Weekly, Cyprus Reporter and Rock FM. As well as her other roles, Catherine does a great job as Social Secretary. Members plus their partners and friends continue to enjoy the monthly get-togethers at various restaurants, usually held on or around the last Sunday of the month plus impromptu nights out if the mood takes us. It has been a very busy social schedule over the last 3 months. In July we met at Seven St George for a meze. Again in July, after the Beer Marathon, we had an impromptu meal at Mar Bianco, Paphos Harbour. There were lots of birthdays during August and we celebrated them with drinks and food at Sea You Beach Bar and at Sea Caves Tavern. We 12

13 also enjoyed a buffet at the Spice Hut during August. Finally, in September, there was a comedy evening at the Peyia Brewery, then an evening out at the Take That Tribute Band at the Tala Amphitheatre. We do know how to party and have fun! Rock FM I couldn t resist this - Ruth famous at last! Running Kit: If you want to order running vests and tee-shirts then Mark Pead continues to order them on behalf of the club. We are looking into ordering running jackets printed with the club name, for the colder weather. Yes, it does get cold and wet in Cyprus! 13

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Nov / Dec Newsletter. September / October

Nov / Dec Newsletter. September / October Welcome to our bi-monthly newsletter about our running club, here in Paphos. It includes information about the races we ve participated in, our results, any general information about us and what preparations